Cheshire Resident Named To College Academic All-District Team

CHESHIRE, CT — In recognition of outstanding achievement on the field and in the classroom, Cheshire’s EJ Gonzalez and Hamden’s Declan Ryan of Albertus Magnus College men's soccer were named to the 2022 Academic All-District Men's Soccer Team, selected by the College Sports Communicators, the school announced this week.

To be eligible for Academic All-District honors, student-athletes must be a sophomore or higher with a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5. In addition, these student-athletes must also have played in at least 50 percent of the team's competitions throughout the season, according to a news release.

Academic All-District winners advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. First-, Second-, and Third-Team Academic All-America honorees will be announced in early December.

Gonzalez, a Cheshire High School graduate, was named to the 2022 All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Second Team as a defender after an outstanding sophomore season. He was one of just two Falcons to start all 18 games this year. Gonzalez helped the AMC defense rank sixth in the league with a 1.26 goals-against average.

Ryan, a Hamden High School graduate, made 16 starts in 18 appearances for Albertus, netting one assist on the season. He was another critical component of the AMC backline, as he helped guide the Falcons to seven shutout victories, six in GNAC play.

The Falcons finished the 2022 campaign with an 8-6-4 overall record and a 6-3-3 mark in league play. With six wins in its GNAC slate, Albertus made its 26th appearance in the conference tournament, challenging the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) in an epic double-overtime battle in the Quarterfinals.